Jason Ditz | The Libertarian Institute

Top Iraqi Cleric Rejects Trump’s Talk of US Base to ‘Watch Iran’

by Jason Ditz | Feb 8, 2019 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

Iraq’s most senior religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, rarely interjects himself into politics. US officials have long tried to stay on Sistani’s good side anyhow, fearing that his opposition could up-end the entire military presence there. President Trump’s talk of keeping a base in Iraq going forward to “watch Iran” seems to have pushed his buttons, however, with Sistani criticizing that, saying that Iraq should maintain “good and balanced relations” with all of its neighbors. Sistani’s position appears in-line with most of the political leaders within Iraq, who have already...

Russia Shows Off New Missile in Last Ditch Attempt to Save US Nuclear Treaty

by Jason Ditz | Jan 25, 2019 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

In a last ditch attempt to save the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the United States, Russia has taken the unusual step of putting their new missile, the 9m729, on display for foreign audiences to inspect. The US has accused the Russian missile of violating the INF, though Russia maintains that this is not the case. The missile is on display at a military theme park on the outskirts of Moscow. At issue is the maximum range of the 9m729. Russia says it has a maximum range of 480 km, and testing was broadly at the 400 km range. The INF would forbid the missile if its range...

White House Asked Pentagon to Provide Military Option to Attack Iran

by Jason Ditz | Jan 14, 2019 | Featured Articles, Politics

In early September, during major protests in Iraq’s Shi’ite southeast, a group fired three mortar shells into the Green Zone of Baghdad. The shells landed in an empty lot, doing no damage and causing no casualties. Months later, it appears to be a much bigger story. That’s because the Wall Street Journal is reporting that in the immediate aftermath, John Bolton and his National Security Council were encouraging a “forceful” US response. In the course of this, Bolton’s team asked the Pentagon to provide President Trump with “military options” to attack Iran. It appears not to have taken long...

Syrian Army Deploys to Manbij in New Alliance With Kurds

by Jason Ditz | Dec 29, 2018 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

With Turkey’s imminent invasion of Kurdish territory in northeastern Syria expected to begin any day, the Kurdish YPG has quickly secured a new alliance with the Syrian government. Within short order, the Syrian Army has arrived in the city of Manibj, on the Euphrates River, to help with its defense. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is reporting that this first deployment is of over 300 Syrian troops, with military spokesmen saying they are to deploy on the city’s outskirts with the goal of “defeating all invaders and occupiers.” There are US and French troops still within the city of...

Elites United in Panic Over Syria Pullout, Afghanistan Drawdown

by Jason Ditz | Dec 24, 2018 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

Open-ended war continuation has so much momentum in the US that President Trump’s announced pullout from Syria shocked the nation. Followed up the same week with a drawdown from Afghanistan, the mainstream is now completely apoplectic. On the left and right, comfort with the status quo was virtually uniform. The arguments behind condemning the drawdowns vary depending on the side of the aisle the commenter is on, but the message is uniform opposition to ending a war Congress never authorized in the first place. Conservative hawks are playing the usual fear-mongering about threats that have...

White House Announces Full Withdrawal From Syria

by Jason Ditz | Dec 20, 2018 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

In a surprise move, President Trump has declared victory over ISIS in Syria, and the White House has confirmed that a complete withdrawal of US military forces from Syria has been ordered. Officials also say the State Department will be withdrawn in the next 24 hours. This would see an estimated 2,000 US troops pulled from Syria, which comes after many months of Pentagon officials positioning the military presence as a very long-term one. No one seems to have anticipated this announcement. In the immediate lead-up to the announcement, however, the Trump Administration has been telegraphing a...

Trump’s Syria Pullout Fuels Backlash Across DC

by Jason Ditz | Dec 20, 2018 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

President Trump’s announcement of an immediate withdrawal of US forces from Syria seems to have taken a lot of people by surprise. Such big news is fueling both a predictable backlash from hawks, and angry criticism from political rivals who are portraying the announcement as a reckless shift from the open-ended military engagement everyone was expecting. Trump presented the move as a natural response to he defeat of ISIS, which is leading a lot of hawks to deny that ISIS is really defeated. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) compared this to the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq, and said Congress must...

Senate Votes to End Support for Saudi War in Yemen

by Jason Ditz | Dec 13, 2018 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

45 years after War Powers Act, a first successful challenge In a vote on Thursday, the Senate passed S.J. Resolution 54, in a vote of 56-41. The resolution is a War Powers Act challenge to the unauthorized US involvement in the War in Yemen, and would require the US to cease its involvement, if a complementary bill passes in the House. 45 years to the day after the War Powers Act was passed, this is the first successful challenge. Several amendments were also voted on, with most passing and added to the bill. Sen. Young’s (R-IN) amendment clarified that this bill includes a prohibition on...